Who Should I Start? Kaleb Johnson or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Friday, November 28, 11:42 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson won't be on the fantasy radar for this weekend's clash with the visiting Buffalo Bills. The former third-round pick has had a quiet rookie season, amassing 58 yards on 22 carries across seven appearances. At the beginning of the campaign, Johnson appeared to be on his way to playing a sizable snap share in a backfield ripe for the taking. That didn't come to fruition, though, as teammates Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell have formed a formidable duo for the Steelers. Furthermore, opportunities in Pittsburgh are hard to come by, considering the team boasts the third-slowest pace of play (56.7 plays per game). As it stands, the University of Iowa alum is a talented athlete, but his path to playing time -- at least in 2025 -- is less clear than we'd like for fantasy. Either way, he's still a nice stash in dynasty leagues.

Friday, November 28, 7:38 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has lost his lead role in the team's backfield over the past few weeks. Third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has taken over as the lead back for the Commanders, with Croskey-Merritt rotating in on early downs and veteran Jeremy McNichols holding down the pass-down responsibilities. The rookie seventh-rounder's production dropped off a cliff after the first five games of the season. After recording 43 carries for 283 yards (6.6 YPC) and four touchdowns to go with five receptions (seven targets) for 54 yards in Weeks 1 through 5, Croskey-Merritt has 71 carries for 215 yards and zero touchdowns with four receptions (six targets) for 14 yards in Weeks 6 through 11. That leaves him off fantasy radars for Sunday Night Football against a strong Denver Broncos defense that has allowed the 10th fewest PPR points per game to opposing running backs.